Question on Lawnmower Blennies?

[lazuruskfp]

Hey all,
Just curious if anyone with experience with this particular fish can give me some info.
So here is a summery of my questions:
1. will a lawnmower blenny focus on hair algae as his name inplies or will he sample from all my beneficial/and bad algae at once?
1a. If it will focus on the hair algae first can I curb his desire to chomp on my macro algae with regular feedings and available nori?
2. does the LB tend to rest on rocks and the ground floor of a tank, or does it tend to wander around the water column?
3. Will it be able to co-exist with a six-line wrasse, clownfish, and a blue/green chromis in a 30g tank for about 3 months (I'm upgrading

)
Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[gwh57]

Originally Posted by LazurusKfP
Hey all,
Just curious if anyone with experience with this particular fish can give me some info.
So here is a summery of my questions:
1. will a lawnmower blenny focus on hair algae as his name inplies or will he sample from all my beneficial/and bad algae at once?
1a. If it will focus on the hair algae first can I curb his desire to chomp on my macro algae with regular feedings and available nori?
2. does the LB tend to rest on rocks and the ground floor of a tank, or does it tend to wander around the water column?
3. Will it be able to co-exist with a six-line wrasse, clownfish, and a blue/green chromis in a 30g tank for about 3 months (I'm upgrading

)
Thanks in advance for any info!
I can only answer some of these, but here goes:
1. Mine will eat everything except for hair algea. He mostly eats frozen.
2. He stays mostly on the bottom and around the rock.
3.Don't know about the fish except the clown and mine get along fine.

 

[bgrae001]

I have a LMB it stays away from hair algae.
It will be fine with those fish.
Mine likes to purch on the rock and just look around.
Emerald crabs will clear hair algae like a lawn mower!
Good Luck!

 

[30-xtra high]

1. mine will not eat food i feed it, it only eats algae, and yes it will eat hair algae, the entire back of my 30 gallon tank had thin hair algae on it, got my lawnmower, and he ate it in about 2-3 weeks, and keeps my tank relativly clean, with the help of my coral banded shrimp and some hermits.
1a. i doubt you can change his diet, i tried to feed it alot of things, wouldn't accept anything... just eats algae, and i've had him abouta month.
2. i don't think i've ever seen mine on the floor, he just glides along all my liverock and picks at algae.
3. it will be completely fine with those fish, and if you are upgrading just for those fish, there is no need, they are fine in a 30.

 

[gwh57]

Mine has been in my tank for over a year and even eats the sea weed I put out for the tangs. I think once they get accustom to regular fish food they wan't eat much algae.

 

[lazuruskfp]

Thanks for the info so far...
It looks like its a mixed bag with the LMB and the hair algae, I guess its individual to individual fish basis like most fish I have had.
I heard Emerald crabs prime diet was bubble algae... How many emeralds would it take to keep general outbreaks under control along with light control/feeding ect. As I already have 1 emerald in there?
PS I'm upgrading so I can expand the number of fish/corals in my tank... and because I want a more stable ecosystem (more water = more stable). I'm pretty sure all my fish have reached 'near' their max size now . But my girlfriend loves to bring home 'new friends' so much I can't stand denying her passion for pets for x years to come

 

[stdreb27]

you are right lmb is a mixed bag. Mine doesn't eat algea much at all. But loves the food I feed my other fish. He will hide out about anyway he feels like at the moment. And bigger tanks are always sooo way cooler.

 

[seannmelly]

Originally Posted by LazurusKfP
Hey all,
Just curious if anyone with experience with this particular fish can give me some info.
So here is a summery of my questions:
1. will a lawnmower blenny focus on hair algae as his name inplies or will he sample from all my beneficial/and bad algae at once?
1a. If it will focus on the hair algae first can I curb his desire to chomp on my macro algae with regular feedings and available nori?
2. does the LB tend to rest on rocks and the ground floor of a tank, or does it tend to wander around the water column?
3. Will it be able to co-exist with a six-line wrasse, clownfish, and a blue/green chromis in a 30g tank for about 3 months (I'm upgrading

)
Thanks in advance for any info!
1. If you get lucky you'll get a lmb that will eat your hair algae. Mine eats the film algae that will grow on the glass and rocks. He'll nip at some hair algae once in a while but doesn't not consume much.
2. Mine perches on anything and everything. Anything from the rock to corals to powerheads to the cleaning magnet. Does not swim in the water column as much as say a Green chromis or a Tang would.
3. Yes he should be compatible with them. The only thing mine bothers is my gobies once in a while. But other then that he's great and a fun fish to watch. I'll post a pic.

 

[1knight164]

Originally Posted by LazurusKfP
1. will a lawnmower blenny focus on hair algae as his name inplies or will he sample from all my beneficial/and bad algae at once?
My LMB eats everything I feed the fish including nori sheets and formula 1 nips on algae on glass and LR.
Originally Posted by LazurusKfP
2. does the LB tend to rest on rocks and the ground floor of a tank, or does it tend to wander around the water column??
LMB love to rest on rock shelves. As a matter of fact, I believe they're also called "jeweled rockskippers" because they like to swim from rock to rock. I arranged my LR so there are plenty of shelves for him. I also have an abalone shell at the bottom of my tank and he likes to hide under it with his head poking out. He also likes to lean on the front glass, standing on his tail, "people watching."
Originally Posted by LazurusKfP
3. Will it be able to co-exist with a six-line wrasse, clownfish, and a blue/green chromis in a 30g tank for about 3 months (I'm upgrading

)
I have two clowns and they get along great with the LMB. Can't comment on the six-line or chromis. The LMB seems to go where he pleases and doesn't bother the others.

 

[bitte]

The one I purchased from this site a few months ago has never eaten anything I put in the tank (to my knowledge). He actually looks to be slowly starving, so if anyone has suggestions on other things to try, I would appreciate them because I feel quite bad for the fellow. I have tried spirulina flake, nori sheets, lettuce, spinach, formula two--all to no avail. I have a 58 gallon with 60-70 lb LR, but also quite a cleanup crew of turbos (~10), nassarius (~10), hermits (~6).

 

[dragonzim]

Mine eats algae off the glass, but he doesnt seem interested in hair algae. He also eats the flake and Formula 2 cubes that I put in and he occasionally goes for mysis shrimp as well. He spends a good part of his day flitting from rock to rock as well as hanging out on the sand, powerheads and anyplace else he can find a solid surface to sit on

 

[greg2424]

mine committed suicide, jumprd right out of the tank